Whatever Comes, Whatever Goes, Whatever Happens
by stranger12
Summary: It was too easy


**Kick–Ass – Whatever Comes, Whatever Goes, Whatever Happens**

It was too easy

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WARNING: Mention of sexual assault.

* * *

It had been almost a year since he last saw Mindy. Hit Girl. Her. He could still remember the way she smiled at him, looking much older than he could ever hope to look, straddling her bike, her hair long and silky over her shoulders. She had not looked like the little girl who had shaken his hand on a rooftop some years prior after they avenged her parents' deaths, no, she had looked like danger on wheels, ready to take on the world.

And he stayed behind.

He went back to school with his remaining friends, the trio still losers, but they knew they had helped bring The Motherfucker and his lackeys to their knees, and though none of their classmates could ever know, it was enough that they could trade looks and share in their secret.

Katie continued to ignore him, though since Mindy was no longer around for him to point and make snide, lewd comments at, Dave found it easy to stop caring about her. She had cheated on him through no fault of his own (other than ignoring her, he supposed), and even after the news hit that his dad had confessed to being Kick–Ass (something no one believed for a second) and been killed in jail, she had not reached out to him, though the days following, she had looked at him with pity and almost regret.

Just as well. His dad's death had burned a hole in him, and he no longer felt like sharing himself with Katie, or anyone. Not anytime soon, anyway.

Instead, he went through the motions, studied hard to get in a good school, using his dad' mysterious inheritance, and kept to himself. Chris D'Amico seemed to have given up on trying to be a super villain or whatever, though without legs or a dick, Dave thought disdainfully, he supposed it was fair enough. He lived his now quiet life and it was okay, it was kind of nice to know he wouldn't get shanked walking down the streets by one of Chris's men.

Sometimes, though, he really missed being Kick–Ass, training with Mindy, hearing her call him a whiny loser. He tried going to the gym, but none of the trainers were as vicious or hard on him as she had been, and it was difficult to explain where he'd learned to fight, why he always hit so hard, like he was always going up against someone with a broken bottle looking to slash his throat.

How could he tell them all the things he'd done, all the things that had been done to him? He couldn't even explain his scars, how could he possibly tell anyone that a fifteen year old girl who could take all of them with one hand tied behind her back had taught him to fight for his life – because it was the only thing a person could truly hold on to when it came down to it?

Mindy had taught him everything he needed in order to survive, and he had been too slow to realize it until she left him.

It had been something of a year since he last saw her, and her teachings finally came handy one cold New York night.

After a lot of hard work, Dave had managed to snag a spot at NYU, and he snorted as he started as a Pre–Law student. His friends had laughed their asses off when they learned and Marcus, with whom he'd kept in contact, knowing the man would be lonely without Mindy around, had taken one look at him and that was enough of a reaction from him.

He was returning home from a dinner with his classmates when he heard harsh, angry hisses from an alley. He patted himself before he remembered he was not wearing his Kick–Ass costume, and a small voice told him to let it go, to keep walking, it wasn't any of his business, he shouldn't play the hero, he'd almost gotten himself killed a number of times–

But then Mindy screamed at him, and he walked into the alley with a clear mind and a resolute purpose.

There stood three men and a trembling girl. She was crying and begging so quickly he couldn't hear the words, but the desperation was loud and clear there. Her hands could barely hold what remained of what he could only guess had been a shirt of dress before the men had–

"What's going on?" – he questioned, throwing his bag to the side carelessly. The man leered at him.

"Keep walking, kid, it's got nothing to do with you" – one of them said with a condescending smirk.

"Wanna join in? I'm sure she can handle another round" – another one said and Dave's blood cooled at the implication.

The girl didn't dare look at him, but she shrunk unto herself, as if expecting him to– To–

"Why not" – he said, and sauntered over. The men remained at ease, clearly sure they could take him if he were to try anything. The girl started crying again, but she would not look up. Up close, Dave's stomach turned at her bruised, bloodied and bottomless state.

Those fucking–

He couldn't even finish his thought before he turned and swung at the biggest of the men. The other two shouted warnings and lunged at him, but Mindy– Hit Girl tsked in his ear and directed him to dodge, kick, punch, throw and slam, and Dave– Kick–Ass sans the uniform responded without thinking.

It was a good thing he had kept up his training every day, otherwise their hits would've hurt a shit load more. As it were, he grinned through the blood in his mouth and made sure each and every one of them were hard on the ground, in little to no condition to get anywhere other than the disgusting floor.

"Marcus" – he swiftly grabbed his phone and called the Det. – "I need your help" – he rattled off the address and put it back in his pocket.

"Are they–?" – the girl whispered, hugging herself. Dave shook his head.

"Here, take this. It's not much..." – he pulled out his hoodie and extended it to her. With hesitant hands, she accepted and he looked away as she tied it around her waist and covered herself as best as she could.

"Thank you" – she said quietly, eyes wide at her attackers – "Why did you–?"

"It's nothing. C'mon, let's wait for the police, they should be here soon"

She slowly accompanied him and they waited in heavy silence for Marcus and the ambulance Dave had asked for. It felt like ages before the sirens filled the night, and Dave finally started breathing again when he spotted the Det. leaving his car and striding to him with a concerned frown.

"Miss? Miss" – he gently told the girl, who shrunk away from Marcus's imposing form and closer to Dave – "I'm sorry, but will you go with the paramedics? They'll look you over and an officer will take your statement, is that alright?" – she looked at Dave with frightened eyes, and the teenaged nodded.

"Can I go with her while you deal with those asshole?" – Marcus sighed.

"Sure"

Dave didn't dare touch her as they slowly made their way to the awaiting ambulance, but he made sure to stay nearby as the paramedics fussed over them and an officer approached.

"I... I was walking to my sister's apartment when they– They jumped me" – she started telling her harrowing tale, and Dave had to keep himself from running back to the alley to finish what he'd started.

Hit Girl wouldn't have hesitated to end them, she would have walked away from their corpses without a second thought.

After the scumbags had been roused and taken to the hospital (Marcus sent Dave a blank look at their state), and the girl ('Sara. My name is Sara') had given her statement, Dave felt awkward in the quiet street.

"Will you come with me?" – Sara asked softly. Dave looked at Marcus, who shrugged.

"Of course"

In the ambulance, she reached out for his hand and he squeezed back reassuringly. She didn't smile at him, but he grinned at her, trying to convey something he couldn't quite put into words 'cause Mindy had pounded into his brain how empty words could be, how actions were what truly mattered in the world.

Mindy would likely have rolled her eyes at him, spat at how chivalrous he'd been, how kind and soft he'd hit the assholes, but Dave was pretty darn sure she would also smirk at him and tell him he'd done a somewhat good job after all.

At least he hoped she would.

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This is in the same Universe as "Mistakes Are For Children" and "Ain't no Effing Way" (though with a significantly less interesting title, IMO). I guess it's actually after Ain't no Effing Way, as I mention Dave's dad's supposed inheritance but not really lol


End file.
